Panama City – La Paz – Talara

On December 21, 1973 at 12:00 AM, Panama City – La Paz – Talara experienced a crash involving Convair CV-440 Metropolitan, operated by TAM Bolivia - Transporte Aéreo Militar Boliviano, with the event recorded near Talara Piura.

The flight was categorized as cargo and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

9 people were known to be on board, 6 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 66.7%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 6, passenger fatalities: 5, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The airplane was completing a cargo flight from Panama City to Talara with an intermediate stop in La Paz, carrying a crew of three, six passengers and a load of toys. On final approach, the airplane struck tree tops and crashed few hundred meters short of runway. Both pilots and a passenger survived while six other occupants were killed.

Aircraft reference details include registration TAM-47, MSN 444, year of manufacture 1957.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -4.5941°, -81.2606°.